Camera Review: TRENDnet TV-IP551WI

Image Quality

Image quality is fair, but seeing that this is camera is sub-$100 on Amazon.Com, it is acceptable. Here is a specimen image from the camera:

The sunlight washes out some of the image here, which is common with cameras in this price class. Here is a night image:

For home surveillance purposes, this image quality is fine. Note that some cameras, like my venerable Linksys/Cisco WVC54GCA, supports emailing and FTP’ing video clips. I don’t see that as required, stills work just fine for me, and so this camera meets those needs.

Overall Assessment

The TRENDnet camera is easy to set up and install, and the documentation provided is comprehensive, well-written and accurate. The simple WPS installation process will appeal to first-timers, and the comprehensive admin screens will appeal to those who want more control over the setup process. One gap in the documentation is the requirement that the DNS servers be set manually in order for the camera to be available outside the network. That is a minor issue with documentation that I found to be comprehensive and well-executed.

Image quality and motion detection work as well as any other camera in this price range. The camera can struggle a little bit when switching from day mode to night mode and back, but images are available 24/7 with this camera. My Linksys WVC54GCA is day only, so the additional night time capability is appreciated.

Synching with external time servers worked without a hitch, and the ability to view the camera stream using either Active X on IE or Java for other web browsers is appreciated. Access from outside the network was bullet proof using Secure View Pro for the iPad and IP Viewer for Android and the iPad. I’ll do another article on the mobile apps, but they worked fine.

The camera is small and unobtrusive, and the wireless signal was strong in every all over my house.

Overall, I give this a 5/5 and recommend it for an entry-level IP camera to add to your home. Look for a separate article on the mobile apps and the Secure View PC software soon.

FULL DISCLOSURE NOTICE

TRENDnet provided the camera that I reviewed in this article. It had no impact on my evaluation, but I believe that you should know that this unit was provided free of charge for my review.